


Ex Machina

by MrProphet



Category: Deus Ex (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 13:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10698195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrProphet/pseuds/MrProphet





	Ex Machina

"It's the nanotechnology that makes the difference," Ferguson explained. "And it's not just the integration of augmentations into the human body; the implications go beyond that."

"How so?" Morgan asked.

"Fractal neural networks," Ferguson replied. "Think about the advances that have been made with AI even within the confines of current electronic technology and then think of the processing power in one macroengineered nano-cluster. With the first iteration of nanoengineered nanites we've outstripped any electronic chip on the market and it's just going to get better as we drill down, each iteration of nanites creating a new generation that renders its own redundant by a fact of three."

"So, how long before a nanite becomes capable of sustaining an AI?" Morgan asked.

"Not for maybe a thousand iterations," Ferguson admitted, "but that would presume no degradation and an infinite scaling of material properties. The point, however, is  _clusters_. We'll hit the limits of the materials in fewer than fifty generations, but by then each nanite will have the processing power of half-a-dozen commercial computers and a single cluster will rival any current neural net at a fraction of the size.

"So what if we made a neural net of those neural nets?"

Morgan was silent for a long moment. "But how much space... how much power...?"

"You could fit it in the nano-augmetics of a single human body without impeding the function of the augments, and run it on an extra 2000 Calories a day," Ferguson replied. "Once the reconstruction was complete," he added.

"The scale of such a machine..."

"It would change the paradigm," Ferguson said. "It could know  _everything_."

"Everything?"

"The sum of human knowledge surpassed the bounds of a single human mind in the Renaissance. This will bring that sum back into definable limits; a man augmented by an AI alter-ego will be able to know everything there is to be known; so perceive and understand the world at the quantum level." He paused. "He... it... they would... become  _God_."

"Ferguson..."

"To know all is to be omniscient. To understand all, omnicogniscent. No computerised system would be outside my grasp and all the world is computerised. I could be and do anything; omnipresence and omnipotence. I would... I will  _become God_. But you, Morgan. You are afraid of this. You are an enemy of  _my_  faith!"

Morgan backed away to the door, but the lock would not function. "This base is mine to command!" Ferguson laughed. "I am already half-way to godhood and soon... Soon I will complete my apotheosis."

"You are insane!"

"No, Dr Morgan. I am in  _everything_!"

Morgan clutched his chest as his nanoaugmentic pacemaker faltered and died.


End file.
